Tampons



April 22, 1958 K. w. HAESELER TAMPONS Filed June 27, 1955 INVENTOR.

ATTOE NE Y United States Patent ce TAMPONS Kurt W. Haeseler, New York, N. Y., assignor to Joseph R. Croekford, Westbury, N. Y.

Application June 27, 1955, Serial No. 518,123

7 Claims. (Cl. 128-285) i 'This invention relates to tampons, and particularly to those of the type intended for use during menstrual periods. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an article of this kind which can be economically made; which will afford a maximum of protection while being used and which will be of a construction to enable the same .to be more effectively removed from the vaginal passage after use.

On of the primary objections encountered in connection with menstrual tampons of the type now widely used is difficulty in removing the used tampon without soilage and without seepage of the contained fluid contents of the saturated tampon. This objection-able characteristic of known tampons is primarily due to the fact that the entire tampon is drawn out of the vaginal passage as a complete, unitary plug-like member, and when so removed is subject to pressure by the vaginal walls, thus causing it to be subjected to a squeezing action with resultant ejection of the menstrual fluid with which it is saturated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tampon in which the absorbent body of the same is composed of a plurality of separate, flexibly-connected sections or independent pads which, when the tampon is placed in position can independently spread and adjust themselves to the vaginal passage, thus completely filling the same and providing a maximum of protection.

It is another object of the invention to provide, by means of a plurality of separate pad elements, means by which the tampon can be removed from the vaginal passage sectionally, or by the withdrawal of successive sections of relatively small size, so that excessive dilation of the vaginal opening will not take place and the imposition of undue pressure on the parts of the tampon will not occur while the same are being withdrawn.

Other features and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a face view of the elements employed in the production of the tampon;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the connected pad sections disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, showing the two pad sections placed together in side-by-side relation to indicate the positions they assume in the completed tampon;

Fig. 4 shows one of the pad sections being compressed by dies into the substantially half-round shape which it assumes in the finished tampon;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the completed tampon; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating a method by which the tampons may be economically and speedily manufactured.

The improved tampon is composed of a plurality and probably two, pad sections, indicated respectively at 1 and 2, which in manufacture are arranged in spaced, endfrom the rolls, while maintained in section before the latter is drawn out.

such as absorbent cotton, multi-layer cellulosic sheets,"

cellulose sponge or other type of sponge or any highlyabsorbent non-toxic material of the character known or generally used for tampon purposes.

A method by which the tampon may be made is illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein two rolls 12 and 13 of the absorbent pad material are carried on a suitable shaft 11 and by suitable feeding mechanism, the material is fed the required spaced relation, to a point where a sewing machine runs a line of stitching 3 down through the center of the pad 1 and then continues to form a coup-ling thread 4 between the pad 1 and that indicated at 2. When the pad 2 is reached, the sewing machine will then place the line of stitching 5 down through the center of the pad 2 to then continue beyond the end 15 of the pad 2 and form a pull-string 6 for the tampon. This extended end 6 of the thread is cut off at the required length.

The twopad sections 1 and 2 may be then severed along the lines 14 to separate them from the strips drawn from the respective rolls. by which the tampon may be produced, but it will be apparent that other methods might be followed to even more speedily and economically produce the tampon.

The tampon in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 then has its two pad sections 1 and 2 subjected to the compressing action of suitable dies indicated respectively at 7 and 8, resulting in each of the two pad sections being compressed into substantially half-round shape as shown in Fig. 4. When the two pad sections 1 and 2 have been thus compressed, they are placed together in side-by-side being disposed between the two pad sections, and the pullstring section 6 dependent from the pad section 2. The

two pad sections 1 and 2 while in such position, might,

if necessary, be further compressed by suitably shaped dies to result in forming the tampon into a cylindrical,

gompgacted pad of the shape substantially as shown in By the above-described shaping operation, the two pad sections 1 and 2 are doubled upon themselves along the seam lines 3 and 5 and, when they are placed together as shown in Fig; 5, a slit or mouth-like opening 16 is formed in the forward end of the tampon, thus permitting ready entrance of the menstrual fluid and quick absorption thereof by the pad. Also under the influence of the fluid. penetrating the pad, the two pad sections thereof will tend to spread out quite independently of one another and readily fill the vaginal passage and afford a maximum of protection.

When it is desired to withdraw the tampon from the vaginal passage, the pull on the string 6 will first draw out the pad. section 2, which will become completely removed before the pad section 1 becomes dislodged and is drawn out. The result of this arrangement is that the pad is sectionally removed or has its pad sections successively withdrawn so that any fluid displaced by one pad section as it is removed will be absorbed by the other Moreover, since the several pad sections of the tampon are in relatively 2,831,485 Patented Apr 22, 1953:

The proposed method is one v g,ss1,4se

bntis broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

l. A tampon comprising a pair of relatively fiat sections. oi absorbent material, a. flexible thread extending. between and flexibly coupling the pad sectionsx together, the sections being. each doubled upon itself, to form it into substantially half-round cross-sectional shape,.the two sections being arranged face-to-face to. form a. substantially cylindrical tampon body.

2. A tampon as provided for inv claim 1, wherein a pull string extends from. the. end of one. of the pad sections only.

3'. A tampon comprising a pair of. substantially halfround pads, each pad having a substantially flat face, the Hat faces of the two sections being placed in contact, a connecting string extending from the end of one pad to an end of the other, and a pull. string extending from the end of one pad remote from the end of. said pad to which the connecting string is attached.

4. The methodof making two-part tampons comprising placing, two pads in spaced end-to-end relation, extending. a line of stitching down: the center of the two pads, continuing the stitching in the intervening space between the pads whereby such stitching forms a. flexible thread connection between the pads, continuing the stitching beyond. one of the pads to form a pull thread,v and placing the two pads in facial contact with the fiexiblethread connection extended between the pads.

5. In the method of making tampons as provided for in. claim 4, the step for shaping each pad into substantially half round shape before placing the pads into face '4 contact with the flexible thread connection disposed between the pads so placed.

6. The method of making tampons comprising feeding two lengthy fiat-faced strips of absorbent material in spaced relation, extending stitching across the strips and continuing the stitching through the intervening space between the strips to form a flexible thread connection between the two strips, continuing the stitching beyond the end of one of the strips to form a pull thread, then severing a pad section from each of the strips, and placing the pad. sections together in facial contact with. the flexible thread connection arranged between the faces of the pad sections.

7. A tampon composed of a pair of tampon bodies permanently linked together in end-to-end relationship y a thread, the thread continuing beyond the end of me of the sections to form a pull string, the two sections using placed together in facial contact to form a twooart, substantially cylindrical tampon with the connecting portion of the thread interposed between the two parts of the tampon, the pull string extending from one part only of the tampon whereby pulling force exerted on said string will first withdraw said one section of the tampon and thereafter withdraw the other.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,146,985 Rabell- Feb. 14, 193 9 2,355,628 Calhoun Aug. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 805,662 Germany May 25, 1951 

